Treks in Kinnaur, Spiti Valley and Garhwal
Kinnaur and Spiti valley are two of the most fascinating regions of India fringing the Tibetan plateau. The general state of knowledge about these regions, occupying the northeastern quarter of Himachal Pradesh, can at best be described as scanty.

Their geographical inaccessibility has resulted in their attracting the sporadic attention of only the most tenacious of travelers who love to tread on relatively less explored trails like Lamkhaga pass, Mangsu pass, Kinner-Kailash Parikrama and Nalgan pass trek.
Lesser explored treks in Kinnaur-Spiti & Garhwal Region
- Lamkhaga Pass Trek: Chitkul to Harsil in Gangotri.
- Chotakhaga Pass Trek: Chitkul village to Gangotri (a shorter route).
- Nelang/Nelong Pass Trek: Chitkul to Nelong valley in Gangotri.
- Charang-La (Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama Trek): Charang to Chitkul.
- Mangsu Pass Trek: Charang to Chitkul (on a different route).
- Larsa We pass Trek: Asrang village to Kaza in Spiti valley.
- Listigarang-Kashang Pass Trek: Bhaba valley to Pangi village.
- Manirang Pass Trek : Mane in Spiti to Ropa village in Kinnaur.
- Temso Lake Trek: Lippa village to Temso lake.
- Haran Ghati Pass Trek: Barang village to Sangla valley
- Khimloga Pass Trek: Chitkul village to Sankri in Uttarakhand.
Read our trek+travel stories
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Snow Leopard Photo Tour in Spiti Valley (Kibber WLS)
It might strike you as both bizarre (and equally fascinating) to drive to Spiti valley and Kinnaur during wintertime. Though for solitude seekers and wildlife photographers — with a goal […]
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Nako village, Kinnaur
Nako is a lakeside village in the barren Hangrang valley of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh. Some of the highest peaks like Rio Purgyil (6816 m) are located in the valley. Nako […]
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Kinner Kailash Parikrama (Winter Climb Log)
“How will you know the way, the weather is bad, there is a lot of snow,” the senior officer said. “I’ve hiked all over the Himalayas, I hiked the Pin-Paravati […]
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Kinner Kailash Parikrama Trek Log
Kinner Kailash Parikrama is one of the toughest treks in Himachal, around the holy Mount Kailash, also called Kinner Kailash in Kinnaur. Kailash Circuit In Kinnaur It’s a 60 Km […]
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Baspa River Crossings (enroute Lamkhaga Pass)
Baspa River originates near the Indo-Tibetan and Himachal-Uttarakhand border. The valley of Baspa is named after this river. It is also known as the Sangla Valley – one of the […]
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Lamkhaga Pass Trek Expedition (from Chitkul to Dumti)
Chitkul to Dumti Trek blog Day 1 & 2 It was 20th May 2017, and as per schedule 10 of us were to start for the Lamkhaga pass trek from […]
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Chitkul – Last Village On India-Tibet Border
The signboard read “हिंदुस्तान का आखरी ढाबा” (The last dhaba of Hindostan) as we reached Chitkul after witnessing some amazing views of Sangla village and exploring the trail to Chitkul […]
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Lamkhaga Pass Trek Log – June 2015 Expedition
Lamkhaga pass trek blog — June 2015: Chitkul To Harsil Traverse The Lamkhaga Pass (17300 ft) is a fairly remote and one of the most challenging treks, surrounded by snow-capped […]
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Lamkhaga Pass Trek Log—June 2014 Expedition
Getting there: arrived Delhi from Pune, and got the pre-booked Volvo HRTC from ISBT at 2100 hrs. Reached Shimla at 0450 old terminal, and immediately took the local shuttle bus […]
Lamkhaga Pass Trek

Lamkhaga pass trek is a fairly remote trek and is now regarded as the classic route from Chitkul to Gangotri, which was first crossed by Marco Pallis in 1933. The trek is also known as Chitkul village to Gangotri trek or Harsil to Chitkul trek. It can be done from either side.
The beautiful route takes you through some of the most remote areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, like the Jalandhari valley that is covered with flowers post-monsoon. The snow in the early season could impede your progress.
Harsil is famous for Wilson’s Cottage built-in 1864. Gangotri is a short drive from Harsil, while Chitkul is the last village in the Baspa valley Though the difficulty is a relative term, the Lamkhaga pass trek is considered the most difficult in Kinnaur-Garhwal Himalayas. Lamkhaga pass trek offers a diverse landscape that includes Ranikanda meadows, boulder-strewn terrain, Baspa glacier zone, Baspa Glacier Snout and Meadows, and small glacial lakes of Kyarkoti in Harsil valley.
3-Pass Trek [Auden’s Col-Mayali-Patangini Dhar]

Auden’s Col is a pass connecting Rudugaira valley and Bhilangna valley, named after John Bicknell Auden, a British Geographical Survey officer, who first discovered it in 1935 and crossed it in 1939.
The pass is at 5490 m altitude and connects the ridge coming from Gangotri III (6580 m) peak on the north-west and the ridge coming from Jogin I (6465 m) on the east, and also binds a glacier coming from Jogin I, on the north side of Rudugaira valley, Auden’s Col & infamous Khatling glacier on the south side of Bhilangna valley.
Snow Leopard Photo Tour in Spiti

A century ago, Rudyard Kipling in his novel “Kim” described Spiti as “a world within a world” and a “place where the god lives”. Little has changed since that time. During the harsh winter months, this primeval and unforgiving terrain is frequently isolated from the outside world. The elusive wild cat comes down from its lofty peaks and ridges into the valleys to hunt Bharal (Blue Sheep), Ibex, and the livestock of native Spitian.
The snow leopard is generally found in Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary and Pin Valley National park of Spiti valley. The snow leopard has also been spotted by locals around Lippa – Asrang Sanctuary. The Kibber Snow leopard Expedition will take you to far faraway and incredibly beautiful regions of Himachal Pradesh, into the very heart of the Western Himalayas.

As Seen On
The Better India
10 Best Himalayan Treks To Explore in Autumn for Breathtaking Views

Lonely Planet India
Lonely Planet India, 20th Edition, November 2024 edition.
ISBN-10: 1838698000
ISBN-13: 9781838698003
